Crash-Kurs: Spaces in transformation: a weekend in the Thuringian Forest

The Thuringian Forest is a structurally weak peripheral region. Small villages, an ageing population and fewer and fewer services of general interest are typical. The Thuringian Forest is also a low mountain range landscape, a hotspot of biodiversity, characterized by a small-scale mosaic of forests, meadows, streams and moors and scattered settlements. The local people identify strongly with their region.

With our Summer School crash course, we will spend three days as a group in the small village of Vesser in the middle of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Thuringian Forest. Here, we will use participatory methods to explore aspects of socio-ecological transformation on site. To this end, we will immerse ourselves in the history of the place and let contemporary witnesses have their say. Guided by local experts, we will discover the natural environment and understand the close relationship between humans and nature as well as the effects of climate change in the region. We will pay particular attention to the species-rich mountain meadows that surround Vesser and are an exceptional part of the cultural landscape: however, the traditional use of these meadows has declined in context of socio-economic changes. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to addresses the challenges of managing and conserving these areas. New concepts for usage and conservation are required. Here we take practical action ourselves to make a small contribution to their continued existence, including learning about traditional methods and techniques. Dinners with the village community round off our days. Participants will be exploring one of the topics outlined. They will collect materials and combine them with their own experiences and backgrounds in any format they choose. The result will be a pop-up exhibition. In this way, we give something back to the village and its people.